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Talk:Don't Look Back/@comment-3575890-20150818052848
So I don't know if I've ever posted this before or not, but I'm deep in an Emison mood, so this is my personal testimony as to why I ship them: I don’t really understand how Emison is considered so toxic that it should never be canon. In past tense, YES, it was, but let’s look at the other ships in past tense: Spencer was cruel as hell to Toby and complicit in his being framed for blinding Jenna, Ezra was STALKING Aria, Caleb was spying on Hanna for Jenna, (keep in mind, I ship all of these, so I’m not just listing these off out of biasedness. These ships that I am fully acknowledging began on problematic grounds are OTPs of mine) oh yeah, and then there’s the fact that Emison’s rival ship, Pailey, started with Paige trying to drown Emily. EVERY PLL SHIP BEGAN ON SHAKY GROUNDS. In fact, as much as I love them and hate to admit this part of it, some of these pairings are STILL problematic in a sense, but that’s for another time and another post. Going back to Emison and why they are dubbed toxic, this much I understand going on their history. But what I don’t understand is how these other ships are romanticized out the wazoo. When all the apples have some rot on them, you can’t cherry pick which ones are acceptable to eat and which ones are not. My point is, Emison is no more unhealthy than the rest. Going back to the beginning of why so many people are quick to dismiss Emison: the way we see Alison treat Emily in flashbacks. I’m not going to sit here and deny that their relationship was toxic then because it WAS. Ali treated Emily like dirt, and it’s no excuse at all, but it was not for sick amusement like we were initially led to believe. Oh yes, there’s no doubt that Ali was a major bully that got a thrill out of tormenting others. However, the reason for why Ali tormented Emily was significantly different from the reason she picked on, let’s say, poor Hanna. Whereas Ali would merely rip on Hanna to hurt her, just as she typically did with all her victims, Ali would hurt Emily by pulling her close and then pushing her away. We were led to believe this was a tactic to keep Emily under her control, and partially maybe it was, but it largely stemmed from trust and intimacy issues. Ali would tear down Hanna to make herself feel powerful because deep down she was insecure and afraid, but she’d hurt Emily out of self-preservation because the intensity and depth of her feelings for Emily were unlike anything she’d ever felt for anyone, which is why she treated Emily as shoddily as she did in the first place. She’d keep Emily close because in her heart of hearts having Emily beside her was what she desired, but she could never let her get too close either because the reality was, unlike the others whom Ali had no second thoughts about giving her body to, Emily mattered. Emily was the one person she had real romantic feelings for. It’s why she recoiled so quickly when Emily first tried to make a move on her; it wasn’t out of disgust like she wanted Emily to believe. It was out of fear. The feelings that surged through her in that moment terrified her and she was not ready to come to grips with them. Ali has always been in love with Emily. The evidence is encapsulated all throughout canon script - in particular, Ali’s diary - if you apply a little critical thinking. And looking back with the knowledge of how Ali ticks and how she feels about Emily, her past behavior towards Emily makes perfect sense. Not any less acceptable, but understandable. There is no doubt that if Ali and Emily ever began a relationship that it wouldn’t be anything like it was before. Their dynamic cannot be the same because they respectively are not the same people they once were. Emily is nobody’s doormat any longer least of all Ali’s and Ali is more sympathetic and compassionate since having to experience what it’s like on the opposite side of the fence. The both of them while they might not have been compatible in the past, have grown into people that I fully believe are perfectly suited for each other now. Emily is no longer at Ali’s mercy. She’s learned to stand up for herself and she’s made it abundantly clear to Alison that she won’t stand for her mind games anymore, which has served as a reminder to Ali that her actions do have consequences for herself. For awhile, she lost her one special person. Emily has actually always brought the very best out of Alison. It’s just that, before, Alison’s best was still not a very good person, but between Emily shutting her out and her being carted off to jail, Ali’s had plenty of room to grow even more than she already has since she disappeared. For the first time in her life, she’s completely powerless and has a sense of understanding how her victims must have felt. She has insight that she did not before, and being isolated from the people she loves for so long has certainly given her opportunity to reflect on herself, her actions and the weight they have, her feelings for Emily, and so on so forth. I do not believe Ali is a nefarious person. Just a lonely, emotionally damaged young girl that had some major growing up to do - as of late, really has - and I wholeheartedly believe that this stronger, bolder, more confrontational Emily is the best possible person to help her continue to grow. Emison as of now do not drag each other down. They advance each other’s growth. Ali makes Emily stronger and Emily softens Ali’s hard edges.